Page 89 of Mistaken
“Thesukadoes not get to live! You do not get to live, Maksim!” She’s backed away from her alarmed husband and my bro- no, from Charles, not my brother. “And you cowards will not stop me!” She’s pointing the gun at me again and I watch her finger press the trigger. There’s a weight on my chest and everything goes dark.
Night, night,I’m so grateful to go away.
Chapter 23 – Please Pretend, Just for Tonight
In which a broken, vulnerable Ella asks Maksim to do something for her, even if he’s just pretending.
Ella…
There’s a beeping sound that wakes me up and for a horrible moment, I think I’m back in the hospital, all those years ago. I want to cry out for someone to get me out of here, but I can’t make my lips move. I hear some kind of pathetic grunting noise and I realize it’s from me.
“You’re awake,” it’s Maksim leaning over me, one big hand on my cheek.
“You look really bad,” I wheezed.
He laughs, “I’m sure I do,” he agreed. He’s got dark circles under his eyes, a bandage on his head and as my eyes drift down, there’s several more on his chest and arms.
“Does this mean we won?”
“Yes,????????,”he said gently, “we did. Katya and her hellhound are finished, the Sokolov Bratva is ours for the taking.”
“That’s good,” I agreed, and then I fell asleep again.
I woke again as the doctor was taking my pulse. Maksim is standing behind her and I can tell it’s making the poor woman uncomfortable.
“Mrs. Morozov, how do you feel?”
“I’m fine.” My voice sounded so blank but I couldn't think of anything to say. I was still thinking about my brother wanting me sent to a whorehouse. That I can never see Tania again to keep her safe.
“-want to be sure there’s no sign of shock.”
Oh, it’s the doctor again. “I’m sorry. What?”
She’s shining a light in my eyes, “I’m checking you for shock. Can you tell me what you’re feeling right now?”
Empty. Pretty much empty.
“I’m really fine, I promise.” I make an attempt at a reassuring smile, but she doesn’t seem that impressed.
“We ran some x-rays, I was concerned that the full left side of your ribcage was broken, but you must take a lot of calcium supplements, only two were actually fractured,” she says.
Oh, a little joke,I think, trying to concentrate. I smile again.
“It looks like from your x-rays that you’ve had multiple fractures in this region before?”
When I don’t answer, Maksim says, “Ella was in a serious car accident a few years ago. She lost her parents and she was in the ICU for several weeks.”
“That must have been brutal,” she says sympathetically, “I’ve started you on a round of antibiotics for the…” her mouth thinned with anger, “for the cigarette burns and I’ve left an ointment here to apply…”
Her voice fades out and I fall asleep again.
It’s dark when I open my eyes for the third time. Maksim is still here, lying on top of the covers with his eyes closed. His hand is resting on my arm. It’s warm, and heavy. It feels comforting. I knew for the next little while at least, he would comfort me and I’d feel treasured and in the circle of family. An odd, violent dynasty, but still family and friends. And then something will happen to trigger him and Maksim will tear me apart with cruel words. Scornful. But if he’s kind to me long enough before that happens, I will never be able to stop loving him.
Then, the next time he lashes out at me and reminds me that I’m merely convenient, it will kill me.
“?????????”Maksim’s speaking to me, “How do you feel?”
I think about it. “Can I have a bath?”
